In desperation for extra cash, I was prompted to contact the Census Bureau to see if they need my help with field work in the neighborhood. While I do not relish the idea of going door to door and harassing negligent residents to fill out the form, I'd be fine with any clerical or phone work they'd need me to do. But in order to get work, I first had to take a half hour standardized test, basically to see whether I possess basic common sense, along with some math and organizational skills.
I did this Saturday afternoon right here at the Carroll Gardens library. I was seated at a table with five random, cash-starved people, and there was lots of down time between filling out forms, taking the test and waiting for it to be scored. Next to me was that guy who tells everyone what they're doing wrong and how to get it right, and in front of me was that woman who hums to herself and can't to anything without commenting out loud, such as writing down her address. It's perfect they found each other because she doesn't listen to directions and he loves giving them.
So by the time we were all waiting for our scores, he pushes a pamphlet for his Christian Scientist (a term I never understood, considering they categorically don't believe in most things scientific) church to her and they have a loud conversation about sinning and finding the "troot" (his repeated, heavily Brooklyn-accented pronunciation) within yourself. With all this Godtastic talk, I am in hell. While playing with my iPhone in attempts to ignore them, I look up and meet eyes with two others at the table, who smile nervously. Finally one kind man interrupts and wants to discuss the test questions, some of which were admittedly weird. Like, which of these words is synonymous with "controversial?" He managed to distract them till I could pick up my test and leave. If I ever see him again, I am so buying him a cocktail!
Speaking of, the rest of the weekend was very boozy and fun! Saturday night met up with Phil (you might know him from previous posts such as Bottles and Bruce) and a bunch of our neighborhood friends and my ex-Morrell peeps at the Waterfront Ale House on Atlantic. After that crazy afternoon, felt great to ease into that scene and catch up with old pals. It's always funny to get this crowd together, because we all geek out in our own ways. Phil likes to tell us which beer on draught is "showing well" while Tom and Brett discuss the wines they've tasted lately and what they ate with them. I miss working with those guys, even if not the job itself.
Sunday was the Dizzy Fizz Pre-Tales Blogger Brunch at Rye House. A gathering of Twitter peeps, booze bloggers and local mixologists hosted by Herbsaint and Tales of the Cocktail to get us in the mood for promoting the big July event in New Orleans, that is, for those of us going, ahem. Above is an Herbsaint drip in the proper glasswear. Cubes and water melt slowly into the spirit below. We got to keep the glasses!
This is the spirit in a very delicious Herbsaint Fizz. Kind of like taking a Shamrock shake to greater heights!
Was hoping to hang in a corner with Rob and a couple of our mutual friends, but Selena Ricks, who helped organize the event had us in assigned seats, which ended up being very fun. Sat with a few people I already knew, and it encouraged me to mingle with those I didn't. Unlike throwing together random, cash-hungry would-be public servants, it had to be OK if we all like to write about booze, right? Well, if anyone there was looking for the "troot" within them, they kept it to themselves.
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